Council gives port go-ahead for expansion

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The state port got the go ahead for expansion from Wilmington City Council tonight. Folks in a nearby neighborhood were there to speak out against it and they say their fight is not over.

For more than a month now City Council has been debating whether or not to allow the port to amend the city’s code to build a new cold storage facility.

At issue is that the port, within Wilmington’s city limits, would technically require the port to have proper landscaping and parking for any new facility. The port did not want to have to do that. Nevertheless neighbors of the port spoke out in opposition of the changes. In the end those neighbors were not entirely displeased.

“They made concessions to work with us this time, but I’m afraid down the road when more projects come about down there, they may not. They may try and bully their way through or push their way through to get exactly what they want,” said Jim Lamonda, a Sunset Park resident.

The port’s initial request would have made the facility exempt from all land ordinances for any project in the future. They amended that request to only include the new cold storage facility.